ABSTRACT
A large portion of the scholarship about rural Japan dealt with traditional performing arts, craftsmanship, or agricultural activities. Human geography has recently seen the emergence of a more comprehensive and multifaceted view of the countryside as hybrid, i.e., as defined “by networks in which heterogeneous entities are aligned in a variety of ways”. In postwar Japan, rural areas were generally perceived as stagnant backwaters, whereas urban areas embodied progress, modernity, and development. Key stakeholders argue that depopulation is inevitable, but, as a town, they can make efforts to cope with depopulation and still maintain their attractiveness as a vibrant place. Compact towns, close-knit networks with locals and other migrants, and face-to-face chats all offer professional opportunities apart from the emotional benefits, especially for young entrepreneurs. Mitsuo recently bought a spacious house in the mountains some 15-minute drive from the town center.
